Yellow label, the "Upcouture" claw of the little things

While the rattling of the sewing machine beats the tempo, the scissors slide on the fabric with precision and speed according to the features drawn on a paper pattern, revealing the contours of a piece of a garment in the making.

Installed in a modest workshop upstairs of the Labyrinthine Central Store of Little Riens in Ixelles, the small team of the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""yellow label"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" is at work in an atmosphere that is both relaxed and studious.Sophie, the model maker, carefully prepares the parts that will constitute her future creation, while other seamstresses transform old colorful ties to make headbands.

The idea of the """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""yellow label"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" was born in 2017 in the cellar of an association shop located in Stockel, explains Barbara Malik, the project coordinator.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""As far as possible, we demand primarily all the parts collected which are still in good condition, but we started from the observation that we had an important deposit of unsold fabric in our sorting center.We thought it had to be possible to draw on it to make new creations.This makes it possible to offer a diversity of products to our customers, extend the life of these clothes and try to get added value rather than send them to recyclers.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

A clientele that is diverse, underlines our interlocutor in passing.If part of the people who frequent the shops of little things do it for reasons of cost and necessity, others come there because they have chosen to turn to a more sustainable mode of consumption where the reuse of objects, used furniture or clothes makes sense

The first steps, consisting in making cushion covers, were prudent.But the good reception received by the process encouraged its promoters to respond to a call for projects within the framework of the Brussels BE Circular program, which allowed them to obtain support of € 80,000 to develop their range and give morescale at this upcycling initiative.A budget that allowed them to settle in the building on the American street and to invest in particular in some quality tools.

Good news unfortunately tarnished by the bursting of the pandemic of Covid-19, in early 2020, which came to thwart the realization of multiple aspirations carried by the. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Trois confinements d'affilée, fermeture de l'atelier et du réseau de boutiques… Ce n'était pas vraiment le contexte idéal"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""", résume Barbara Malik.

But thanks to the extension of subsidies, the project held out. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""À ce stade, nous faisons face à un nouveau défi car nous ne sommes plus subsidiés.But the association believes in the yellow label and it decided to continue supporting it.It's up to us to become 'rock stars'de the upcycling. On se donne trois ans pour voir où on en sera en prenant 2022 comme année de référence"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""", sourit-elle.

To get there, the team reflects on external financing tracks, such as private donations, for example.

Quality """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""handmade"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" coupled with a socio -professional integration project

If you have holes, cracks, and teeth in your wornature and household items, then you may need to use wood pu… https: // t.CO/J4ZEIFYNTM

— Ten Reviewed Wed Mar 28 01:00:08 +0000 2018

Car la rentabilité de ce type de démarche n'est pas simple à atteindre, reconnaît Barbara Malik, dans la mesure où """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""il s'agit d'un travail de création qui demande du temps, beaucoup de manipulations et de travail d'assemblage.It's really handmade with quality concern """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""".

In addition, as always in small things, the social dimension is intimately linked to commercial activity. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""La volonté est aussi de greffer sur l'atelier un projet d'insertion et de formation aux nouveaux métiers d'artisanat.The project will always be based on a part of volunteering, but the idea is also to allow certain people to train for a year and then be able to turn to the traditional job market.The objective is to give them the keys to their autonomy.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Currently, seventeen seamstresses take turns at the workshop, four hours per week each, supervised by Sophie, the model maker, and a professional seamstress hired three days per week to make the most technical parts. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""La plupart de nos bénévoles ont une expérience de la couture même si ce n'est pas forcément à un niveau professionnel"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""", complète Barbara Malik.

An opportunity that the young Lola seized. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Je travaille ici comme bénévole depuis plusieurs mois après avoir fait des études de couture, nous raconte-t-elle.This allows me to rediscover certain technical bases that I know but that I have forgotten a little """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""".With the hope of gaining experience and deepening your skills while waiting to find work, she says.

By his side, Naomi negotiated with his employer the possibility of having one afternoon per week to come and work at the workshop.Also a volunteer, this sewing enthusiast comes above all for her own pleasure and for the satisfaction of avoiding wasting fabric.

An enlarged range

Displayed on the wall, a table summarizes the production objectives of the week.A range that has been significantly extended and whose production varies according to the demand for restocking shops, but also the type of parts to be made which require a more or less long design time, explains Astrid the workshop manager. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""On s'est essentiellement concentré sur l'habillement.We have bands for hair, small blouses, shirts, turtleneck sweaters or with elbows made by combining several fabrics ....We also try to have an offer that allows you to reach several types of people, more classic or more modern.Each time is a unique piece.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

The objective is ultimately to provide the 30 shops in the Petits Riens network, twenty-five more than in.So there is work to do. Les premières expériences ont permis de faire des tests et de voir comment présenter leurs réalisations """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""pour mettre en évidence la marque dans les magasins et avoir la meilleure approche commerciale possible"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""", poursuit notre interlocutrice. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""On a pris le pli de livrer nos boutiques toutes les semaines de manière très régulière car les clients ont l'habitude d'avoir une grande diversité dans nos magasins.They regularly pass take a look because they know that there is new almost every two or three days.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

On the price side, the yellow label is located in the mid-range, she judges. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Forcément un peu au-dessus des tarifs pratiqués habituellement chez Les Petits Riens, mais en dessous de ce que demandent d'autres marques pour des produits équivalents.This remains affordable for our customers.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

""The upcycling is hard""

Creation work, the fruit of Sophie's imagination, is not easy because it is necessary to define the needs and types of fabric, then see with the sorting center which is available before going to concretization.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""L'upcycling, c'est dur"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""", résume la principale intéressée, tout en soulignant adorer participer à cette aventure. """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Il y a beaucoup de limitations en termes de formes, de matières… On doit partir de choses existantes et en même temps, cela demande un gros travail de création.You have to do battle, sew up ... it requires much more work than leaving a virgin fabric where you have a boss, you just have to draw the pieces and then sew it.Here, there are always small pitfalls and things that take a lot of time.""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Working with a spur of seamstresses who do not necessarily have the same level of experience is not always easy."But there," she emphasizes, "what is really nice, is that we have a stable, motivated and involved team.She knows the products and we can afford to go further without having to re -explain everything.Each also has a little skills area, it's really nice.»